The present invention relates generally to a transport system for circulating and accumulating tube support members in association with a bobbin winding machine.
The feeding of bobbins of yarn to textile winding machines and the removal of empty bobbin tubes from the winding machines has been automated by the use of independent bobbin tube support members circulated to and from the winding machines by transport systems that transport empty bobbin tubes from the winding machine for replacement of the empty tubes with full bobbin tubes on the tube support members and transport the tube support members with full bobbin tubes back to the winding machine.
To accommodate various processing operations, such as the removal of empty tubes from the tube support members and the mounting of full bobbins on the tube support members as well as other optional operations, and to maintain a ready supply of full bobbins to maintain the winding machine in continuous operation without interruption, it is necessary to provide for an accumulation of tube support members in the transport system. This is particularly advantageous when the placement of full bobbins on the tube support members can be accomplished at a greater rate than the demand of the winding machine for bobbins. For example, normally full bobbins can be loaded on tube support members manually faster than the demand of the machine for bobbins such that an operator could intermittently load bobbins at more than one machine or perform other tasks between loadings provided there were some means of accumulating loaded bobbin tube support members between loading and delivery to the winding machine. Some accumulation is provided by the length of the path of the transport system from the loading station to the station at which the full bobbins are delivered to the winding machine, but sufficient length to accumulate a full supply of bobbins, particularly for large capacity winding machines, is not practical because of the excessive floor space required.